On Saturday, March 14, 2026, “MIZUSHIMA EGG MARCHE,” a gathering of shops serving dishes made with eggs and meat from laying hens supplied by Sakamoto Keiran, was held at the lawn plaza of Mizushima Ai-ai Salon. The event was organized by Sakamoto Keiran Co., Ltd.
The people keeping the market going, with lines that lasted for more than two hours after opening, are the event volunteers.
At markets organized by Sakamoto Keiran, event volunteers—including customers who regularly eat the company’s eggs and people who joined after seeing a call for volunteers on social media—help keep things running.
How are the markets we casually attend in our everyday lives actually run? We followed an event volunteer through a day.
The information presented here was current when this article was published in May 2026. Please note that it may differ from current information.
What is “MIZUSHIMA EGG MARCHE”?
MIZUSHIMA EGG MARCHE is a market featuring dishes and sweets made with delicious eggs, as well as drinks and miscellaneous goods, organized by Sakamoto Keiran.
The first event was held in 2021 in Bisei Town, Ibara City, where the company’s poultry farm is located, under the name “HOSHINOSATO EGG MARCHE.” Since 2023, events under the same name have also been held in Mizushima, where the company’s factory is located.
With each event, the number of vendors unique to Mizushima has grown. Starting with this event—the 25th in total since the first—the name has been changed to “MIZUSHIMA EGG MARCHE.”
See the image below for details about the Egg Marche.
The day of the event
Many past Egg Marche events in Mizushima had been held in less-than-ideal weather, but Saturday, March 14, was sunny from the morning.
A long line began forming at the Sakamoto Keiran booth about 10 minutes before the event started, and continued without a break until after noon.
It was a hugely successful event, with a record number of visitors.
Gathering two hours before opening! Event volunteers also help each vendor
Sakamoto Keiran, the organizer of the Egg Marche, also sets up a large booth on the day, so the company needs to prepare its own sales area.
That is why it has been recruiting event volunteers since the days when HOSHINOSATO EGG MARCHE was held in Bisei Town.
That day, too, 10 event volunteers gathered at 8 a.m., two hours before the event began, to set up the venue.
You might think that, since Sakamoto Keiran recruited the volunteers, they would only help set up the company’s own booth—but that wasn’t the case.
The event volunteers approached all 31 vendors and proactively helped with tasks such as setting up tents whenever needed. Seeing the vendors and volunteers chatting warmly even before the event began conveyed the welcoming atmosphere of the event.
Volunteers are hard at work beyond the long lines, too
Long lines continued without a break for about two hours, starting before the Egg Marche opened.
Event volunteers were there beyond those long lines, too.
At the end of the line, an event volunteer holding a sign was in charge of keeping the line organized.
Nearby, other event volunteers chatted with visitors while handing out samples of Sakamoto Keiran original products, such as egg senbei and tuna arare in keema curry flavor.
The event volunteer holding a sign at the end of the line beamed and said, “I’m so happy so many people came.” The volunteer handing out samples was also a Sakamoto Keiran fan who regularly ate its products, and recommended items to visitors who exclaimed, “Delicious!”
Because event volunteers are Sakamoto Keiran customers just like the visitors, they can recommend products to one another from the same perspective—that’s one of the best parts.
A market that event volunteers enjoy to the fullest, too
At the Egg Marche, staff as well as event volunteers visit the various vendors, enjoy delicious food, and browse goods featuring egg and chick motifs. They enjoy spending time this way.
As the afternoon wore on and visitors began relaxing on the grass while eating the items they had bought, the event volunteers also started stopping by, one after another, at the shops they had been curious about.
It wasn’t just the event volunteers who were happy to see one another again after a long time. The vendors, including Sakamoto Keiran, and the volunteers also caught up and shared news. Seeing them all on equal footing, it felt as though a community unique to Egg Marche had taken shape.
Volunteer at the event and get original Sakamoto Keiran merchandise?!
After the marche ended, vendors and volunteers split up the dismantling work, and in less than an hour the lawn at Mizushima Ai-ai Salon was back to its original state.
After the cleanup, Sakamoto Keiran staff and event volunteers gathered, and Sakamoto Akiyoshi, the company’s president, thanked the volunteers and handed out gifts.
The gifts were original assortments put together with each person in mind, featuring Sakamoto Keiran products. Veteran volunteers who had participated many times also received items such as original T-shirts that are not for sale.
Each assortment was large enough to hold in both arms, and every volunteer broke into a smile when they received one.
Interviews with event volunteers
We spoke with people who took part as event volunteers.
What made you decide to volunteer at Egg Marche?
Fujita
I’ve always liked Sakamoto Keiran’s eggs, so I wanted to help out and signed up. The employees and volunteers all have a gentle, welcoming atmosphere, and I always look forward to coming here.
Maki
I was interested in volunteering at events, and when I saw the call for volunteers on Sakamoto Keiran’s official Instagram account, I decided to take part for the first time.
Event staff are often recruited as paid workers, so it’s appealing that even first-timers can participate as volunteers.
What do you enjoy about volunteering at the event?
Kunitoshi
All kinds of people and shops are involved in Sakamoto Keiran’s Egg Marche, so it’s really refreshing to be able to talk with all sorts of people at the venue.
I also have fun coordinating my outfits with chicken- and egg-themed socks and accessories.
Ito
Since I volunteer every time, I look forward to seeing my fellow volunteers and Sakamoto Keiran employees here. It’s one of my important communities, separate from both work and home, so I travel from Tokyo for every Egg Marche.
Another nice perk is that the back of the event staff name tag is a discount coupon for fresh eggs from Sakamoto Keiran. Not only Sakamoto Keiran fans, but also some volunteers who had never shopped there before seem to have become fans thanks to this.
A few words from the organizer
After the event, Sakamoto, who organized Egg Marche, said, “It means a great deal to us to be able to run an event together with the people who eat our company’s eggs. Our event volunteers are an essential and invaluable part of Egg Marche, and we hope to keep creating great events together.”
From the Writer
When it comes to volunteering, you often see opportunities aimed at students taking part in extracurricular activities, seniors looking for a new hobby after wrapping up their careers, or people with specialized skills in fields such as nursing and childcare. But it’s rare to see people in their 30s to 50s who work full-time.
Several people who volunteered at this event said, “I’d always been interested in volunteering, but the opportunities I could take part in were limited by the dates and times or the skills required, so volunteering at Sakamoto Keiran’s Egg Marche has been a lot of fun.”
For Sakamoto Keiran, this seems to be an opportunity to gain more helping hands and customers for its products, while for the volunteers it offers a chance for self-fulfillment—a rewarding experience for both sides.
Event volunteers will continue to be recruited whenever Egg Marche is held, so if you’re interested, check out Sakamoto Keiran’s Instagram.
MIZUSHIMA EGG MARCHE Information
| Name | MIZUSHIMA EGG MARCHE |
|---|---|
| Date | March 14, 2026 (Saturday) 10:00 a.m.–3:00 p.m. |
| Location | 1-50 Mizushima Higashichidoricho, Kurashiki City, Okayama Prefecture, Lawn Plaza |
| Admission (tax included) | Free admission |
| Website | Sakamoto Keiran |
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